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BCI and BSI join forces on BCM in the USA
10 Oct 2008
Topics: Business continuity, BS 25999, USA, Americas
The American chapter of the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) and BSI America have joined forces to help businesses better prepare for disaster by encouraging the adoption of BS 25999 Business continuity management.
The timing is vital for this initiative. Among other things, the changing global economic landscape is prompting significant changes to businesses of all sizes, from redundancy to bankruptcy. This has a knock-on effect on the supply chain, as companies grow increasingly uncertain that they can rely on their suppliers in the long term. For organizations in this situation, it is essential that they have the capacity and the expertise to maintain operations and output in order to survive and thrive.
The partnership between BCI and BSI will encourage businesses of all sizes, as well as municipal, state and federal government agencies in the US to adopt best practices concerning business continuity and disaster recovery planning.
BS 25999 was introduced in 2006 by BSI to provide best practice guidance for organizational business continuity. BS 25999 has been established as a widely accepted and robust standard around the world. BCI and BSI will use their respective strengths when it comes to certifying individual practitioners and auditing organizations to provide a service to businesses of all sizes. The ultimate goal is to help organizations better prepare for, and recover more quickly from, disasters and disruptions to their operations and business activities.
"BCI and BSI are both strong proponents of BS 25999, so this partnership is a natural fit," says Kathleen Lucey, president of the BCI USA Chapter. "Although there is currently no law that mandates such practices, the guidelines set forth by Title IX, Private Sector Preparedness [an amendment to the Homeland Security Act of 2002] strongly encourage small- and medium-sized businesses to develop a current and well-rehearsed plan to be prepared for unforeseen events, and both organizations want to help them accomplish that important task."
The partnership will be formally launched in New York City this autumn at the first annual BCI USA Chapter workshop followed by regional events, support for regional continuity and disaster recovery planner events, and other educational forums. In addition to sharing their expertise for the good of the community, BCI and BSI will offer cross-partnership discounts on products and training.
"With the Title IX initiative getting closer to implementation, many businesses are taking a closer look at their business continuity and disaster recovery plans," explains Todd Vanderven, president of BSI America. "The BCI USA Chapter is a highly reputed and professional organization, and we are proud to be working with them to help ensure that necessary steps are being taken to assist businesses in avoiding irreparable damage during and after a time of crisis."
For more information, visit: www.thebci-usa.org and www.bsiamerica.com
Visit the new BCM portal at www.TalkingBusinessContinuity.com
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